*CHAPTER X*
*"MR. WIL----"*
Wilfrid brushed Cotter aside as if he had been a fly, and flung himselfagainst the door, heedless of its weight and strength, but it was ofstout oak and he might as well have hurled himself against a brick wall.But the sullen blow echoed through the house and there were indicationsof alarm and confusion in the library. It was useless to bruise himselfagainst the obstacle and Wilfrid looked hastily around for some weapon.His eyes fell upon a trophy of bill-hooks and battleaxes. He snatchedone of the latter and attacked the door in earnest. The third blowsmashed in a panel and a crossbar so that it was possible to crawlthrough into the library.
As far as he could see the place was empty. One of the windows was wideopen, which was perhaps fortunate, for the overpowering scent hung onthe air and the odour of it was keen upon Wilfrid's nostrils. Beyonddoubt one of those mysterious fireballs had been lighted here. Butthere was no time to inquire into this. What had become of SamuelFlower? He must have been there a few minutes ago. Certainly somebodyhad been in the library. Flower's peril now seemed as great as ever.Wilfrid strode across towards the window past the mahogany writing-tablewhere Flower's letters were scattered about. One letter with littlemore than a name and address lay on the blotting pad with a wet pen uponit, as if it had fallen suddenly from the writer's hand. Eager andexcited as he was, Wilfrid noted this casually. His search was finishednow. As he strode past the table he blundered over a figure lying athis feet which he recognized at once as that of Samuel Flower. He hadto call twice, and the second time sternly, before Cotter wriggledthrough the broken panel and came dazed and frightened into the room.
"There is no danger now," Wilfrid said contemptuously. "For thepresent, at any rate, those mysterious people have gone. Now help me toget your master on to this sofa."
"He's dead," Cotter muttered. "Of course he's dead. If you had beenthrough what he has the last few minutes----"
Wilfrid did not deign to argue the point. He curtly motioned Cotter toFlower's feet, and between them they managed to raise the body of theship-owner on to the couch. Examination proved that Cotter was wrong.Flower lay still and white and breathless, but Wilfrid could see that hebreathed and that some faint tinge of colour was coming back into hispendulous cheeks. At a command from Wilfrid, Cotter went out andreturned with a brandy decanter. Wilfrid moistened the blanched lipswith the stimulant, and after a little while Flower opened his eyes in adull way and gazed stupidly about. For the present he was safe, thoughit was some time before he showed anything like real consciousness.There was an ugly bruise on his forehead, doubtless the result of afall.
"I daresay you can give me what I want," Wilfrid said to Cotter. "Isthere such a thing in the garden as a house leek? You know the herb Imean--it grows in clumps on the walls. It is capital stuff for bruisesand swellings. Go and get me some."
"I know where it is to be found," Cotter muttered. "But as to going outinto the garden, or in the dark----"
"Fetch it at once," Wilfrid said imperiously. "There is nothing to befrightened of. Go and bring it, or I will kick you out of the window."
Cotter shambled off into the darkness. He came back presently with ahandful of the thick, fleshy leaves, and under Wilfrid's direction beganto mash them into pulp. The man's manner was so strange that Mercerasked the reason.
"I am mad," Cotter exclaimed. "We are all mad. There was neveranything like this since the world began. I tell you those men havegone. I saw them in the garden--with my own eyes I saw them. And theywere as much afraid of the other one as we are of them. What does itmean, sir?"
Just for a moment it occurred to Wilfrid that Cotter had really takenleave of his senses, but his speech was coherent enough and the look ofabsolute terror had faded from his eyes.
"What other one?" Wilfrid asked.
"Why, the big man in the livery," Cotter replied. "But I forgot--youdidn't see him. He came up to the other two with a whip in his hand andlashed them as if they had been dogs. A great nigger, nearly seven feethigh."
"A nigger!" Wilfrid exclaimed. "What bosh!"
"I assure you it's true, sir," Cotter said earnestly. "It was on theother side of the lawn and the light from the window fell full upon hisface. I tell you he is a pure-blooded negro. When those other two sawhim coming they bolted and he after them. And he used his whip uponthem vigorously. Don't ask me what it all means, sir. I am not goingto stay here. I should be afraid to spend another night under thisroof."
Wilfrid gave the thing up as hopeless for the present. Probably thisnew phase of the maddening puzzle would solve itself in time. Andmeanwhile there was Beatrice to be thought of. In a few curt wordsWilfrid sent Cotter into the garden to bring Miss Galloway back to thehouse. He was to wait in the drawing-room till Wilfrid was at libertyagain. He was glad to be alone so that he could concentrate attentionupon his patient.
Flower was rapidly coming to himself and by and by would be able to givean account of what had happened. He opened his eyes from time to timeand recognized Wilfrid with a flicker of his eyelids. There wasnothing, however, but to wait, and Wilfrid sat down by the side of thetable where the letters were scattered about. Without wishing to becurious he did not fail to notice the unfinished letter on which the wetpen was still lying. It was addressed as he saw to a firm called Darton& Co. Then followed the words:--
"Dear Sirs, _Re_ Mr. Wil----"
Here the letter stopped abruptly as if the writer had been interrupted.It struck Wilfrid as a coincidence that Darton & Co. was the firm fromwhich he had borrowed the money to set himself up in business. Butdoubtless there were other firms of Darton & Co., and in any case thematter was not worth thinking about. Besides, Flower was sitting up nowand holding his hands to his temples.
"What does it all mean?" he whispered. "And what is the matter with thedoor? Why is the window open? Ah, I begin to recollect. Cotter hadgiven me some information which he had got from London by telephone andI was just writing a letter.... It was a most extraordinary smell,Mercer. I don't think I ever smelt anything like it. I rose to openthe window and after that I remember nothing till I came to my senses onthe sofa and you were bending over me. What can it mean?"
"I think you know as much about it as I do," Wilfrid said guardedly."Beyond question, a determined attempt to murder you has been made bysome person or persons whom you know just as much about as I do. But Ihad better tell you what has happened in another part of the house."
Wilfrid told his tale briefly, not forgetting to touch upon Cotter'sterror and the admissions which had come from the confidential clerk ina moment of peril.
"It is not for me to say anything about it," Wilfrid concluded, "butseeing that I have already met the men who manipulate these kind ofthings through the symbol of the knotted string, why, naturally, I mustdraw my own inferences. I will not ask you for your confidence, and youmay tell me as little or as much as you like. It seems only fair toconclude that you have somehow incurred the displeasure of these people.If I can help you----"
Flower shook his head despondently. Evidently he was in no mood to becommunicative.
"I don't think I'll trouble you," he said. "That this sort of thingshould go on in England in the twentieth century is outrageous.Fortunately no one knows anything about it but yourself and my niece andCotter, and you will see that the less said the better. I'll place thematter in the hands of a detective, and before the end of the week weshall be safe from a repetition of outrages of this kind."
Flower spoke rationally, but he was terribly shaken. The ship-ownerrose to his feet as if the interview were ended.
"You wouldn't care for me to stay all night, I suppose?" Wilfrid asked."I will if you like."
"Not the least occasion, my dear sir. I have a revolver, and Cotter andI can sit up till daylight. I am ashamed to have given you all thistrouble. Don't let me detain you longer."
There wa
s nothing more to be said and Wilfrid walked out into the hall.He would have left the house, but hearing his step Beatrice came to thedoor of the drawing-room. At the same time Flower's voice was hearddemanding Cotter.
"I should like to speak to you before you go," Beatrice said.
The Five Knots Page 10